News & Press

COP24 closed this evening in Katowice, Poland, more than 24 hours later than initially planned. Despite smooth progress at first, negotiations ended in confusion as it proved impossible to find an agreement within the article 6 negotiations, which work to set up two new carbon markets for the post-2020 period. The text presented to all…

Today, the EU Commission released its “Long Term Strategy for a Clean Planet For All”, an ambitious plan for Europe to tackle climate change and fulfill its commitment to the Paris Agreement. Carbon Market Watch welcomes the strategy, in particular the EU Commission’s open support for net-zero emissions by 2050. Of the 8 scenarios outlined…

BRUSSELS 13 OCTOBER 2017. Today, the EU environment ministers adopted their position on the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) which covers emissions from the transport, building, agriculture and waste sectors in the 2021-2030 period. As the EU’s largest climate tool, the ESR is key to implementing the Paris Agreement in Europe. Loopholes adopted today by the…

STRASBOURG 14 June 2017. Today, the European Parliament voted on the Effort Sharing Regulation which covers the emissions from the transport, building, agriculture and waste sectors in the 2021-2030 period. While strengthening the EU’s largest climate tool, the Parliament position leaves loopholes in the draft law that risk postponing emission reductions in these sectors. The…

BRUSSELS 30 May 2017. The European Parliament’s environment committee voted today to limit loopholes in the EU’s key climate legislation, preventing European countries from stalling emissions reductions in sectors such as agriculture and transport. EU environment ministers must go further to maximise the low-carbon potential of the law as they prepare to adopt a joint…

BRUSSELS 28 March 2017. Only three countries in Europe are on the right track to deliver on the Paris climate agreement, a new ranking published today reveals. The EU Climate Leader Board looks at the position of each European government towards the EU’s largest climate law, the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR). Sweden tops the list,…

BRUSSELS, 1 December 2016. The European Commission’s guidelines on reducing emissions ‘upstream’ from oil refineries are too weak to drive real action by the oil industry because they leave open the door to questionable carbon offsets, green groups Carbon Market Watch and Transport & Environment (T&E) have said. However, national governments can still strengthen the…

Brussels, 1 June 2016. A new policy report launched today warns of dangerous loopholes that threaten to nullify Europe’s climate commitments under the Paris agreement. It calls for greater emission cuts in sectors including transport, agriculture, waste and buildings, if the EU’s largest climate policy is to be coherent with the goal to limit global…

The EU is expected to sign-off on its official international climate pledge – the so called Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), with an announcement on 6 March at the next meeting of the EU’s Environment Ministers. This announcement will make the EU the first region to flesh out its pledge following the Lima UNFCCC meeting….